Meant to Be
by Dave Ziegler
Summary: A short story in which Jacen discovers that there are just some things that are not meant to be. Or are they?


  
STAR WARS   
"Meant to Be"  
A Young Jedi Knights Short  
by Dave Ziegler  
  
"Blaster bolts!" Jacen Solo swore. The Dorman lizard, a prodigious   
puff of milky white fur marred by a set of sickly green legs and a snout   
shaped head, scampered away toward the heavy jungle foliage. They were   
quick creatures, spry and nimble on their feet. He had seen the animals sail  
from bough to bough, ducking and weaving through the thick leaves of the   
Massassi trees. This time Jacen hoped he would be quicker. He had to be.   
If the lizard made it from the clearing back into the jungle he would have   
no chance of catching it.  
  
"No you don't. Not this time." Determined not to let this   
opportunity slip by Jacen leapt forward and gave himself a nudge with the   
Force. The boost it provided should allow him to make up the ground he was   
rapidly losing. Descending upon his prize Jacen stretched out his arms,   
hands ready. He felt his fingers brush the reptile's curiously fine hair.   
He felt its slick tail slip easily through his fingers.  
  
Then his chin connected with the packed earth.  
  
Jacen's jaw began to swell with a warm ache as he watched the little   
creature dive into a tangle of broad leaves. "Perfect." Groaning irritably   
he slowly rolled himself onto his back and stared up at Yavin's cloud covered  
sky. It was a thick quilt of rolling gray. Varying shades, varying depths,   
but gray nonetheless. "I know exactly how you feel," he said defeatedly.  
  
The Dorman lizard had been the object of his quests for the past week  
now, ever since he had first seen it during a vain effort to go the entire   
ten kilometers with Tenel Ka on one of her runs. There it had been, climbing  
one of the jungle moon's gnarled trunks. A drop of white in a canvas of   
green.  
  
It was the oddest little creature Jacen had ever seen. His interest   
piqued, he had put aside some time to research the lizard only to discover   
that one had never actually been held in captivity. So the reason for the   
creature's queer possession of hair was just as much a mystery to the   
biologists as it was to Jacen.  
  
And so he found himself with a totally unique and exotic creature   
within his grasp. Jacen just needed to pull himself together and realize   
this dream. He could do it. He knew he possessed what was necessary to   
accomplish this, it was just a matter of gathering the potential and   
exploiting it. Then he would capture the lizard.  
  
Unfortunately his continued rate of failure in this matter was rather  
disheartening and seemingly prevented Jacen from doing what he knew he had   
to. It was usually so easy for him though. A few calm, soothing thoughts   
wrapped casually around the mind of whatever animal he was interested in   
would subdue it enough for him to grab it. All that need follow was for   
Jacen to get it back to his menagerie with the heap of cages Jaina had   
constructed for him.  
  
The Dorman lizard, however, was completely unresponsive to his   
Force powers. Jacen could feel the ever present sense of alarm that   
surrounded the tiny creature. It seemed virtually impossible to penetrate   
that aura no matter how much effort he put behind the projections. So the   
lizard always ran.  
  
Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.  
  
Jacen pushed himself up and grimaced. Not only was he still smarting  
from the blow to his chin, but a casual glance downward alerted him to his   
appearance. He was caked in dirt and sweat. Bits of twig and vine clung   
to his clothing and lay tangled in his hair.  
  
Jacen was an utter mess.  
  
"I guess a side trip to the lake is in order," he grumbled to   
himself. "At least I'm not still a student though. Wouldn't want to show up  
to a lecture like this."  
  
"Hey Jace!" Jacen glanced up and caught sight of his sister as she   
came jogging out from the Jedi temple. "I wouldn't let Tenel Ka see you   
like that if I were you," she smirked, coming to a stop and giving him a look  
over.  
  
"Cute Jaya, real cute." Jacen shot her a stinging look then   
struggled from his jacket and hurled it at her.  
  
Jaina gave a little yelp as she dodged the soiled clothing. "Whoa.   
Sorry Jacen. Don't get so upset. I was only indulging in a little sisterly   
teasing." Her face fell in a placating manner. "Beside which, you wouldn't   
want to kill the messenger would you?"  
  
"Sorry?"   
  
"I came to tell you that Tenel Ka's been looking for you all   
morning."  
"She has?" Jacen asked. Jaina felt her brother's spirits suddenly   
rise.  
  
"Would I lie to you?" she asked coyly. Jacen snorted.  
  
"That depends. But you aren't this time. I can sense it."  
  
"Well, you better get moving then. I think even the patience of a   
warrior of Dathomir will wan eventually."  
  
"Right. Stall for me would you Jaina? I just need a little more   
time to dunk myself in the lake. Um, for obvious reasons," he finished   
glancing at himself.  
  
"Sure thing," Jaina said, watching Jacen spring to his feet and peel   
off into the jungle. His significantly lightened mood brought a smile to   
her lips. *The power we women wield* Jaina thought to herself amusedly,   
then jogged back toward the temple in search of Tenel Ka.  
  
  
  
By the time Jacen stumbled into his room, still somewhat wet from his  
excursion, Tenel Ka was already waiting for him. "Hey Tenel Ka!" Jacen   
beamed. He never ceased to feel giddy in her presence. "I hear you were   
looking for me?"  
  
"This is a fact," Tenel Ka said inclining her head. "I have been   
searching for you for most of the day."  
  
Jacen took a step nearer to her and gazed into the warrior girl's   
glorious gray eyes. The storm seemed to suddenly break and sunlight lanced   
in through Jacen's window highlighting the bronze braids that fell across her  
shoulders. "Really? Why?"  
  
"I have a..." Tenel Ka faltered. She felt momentarily trapped in   
the intoxicating brandy of her friend's eyes. "I... I have a gift for you   
Jacen my friend," she finished, finally managing to pull free.  
  
Tenel Ka gestured to a small wooden box that sat atop Jacen's   
sleeping pallet. Its lid sported a large cluster of narrowly carved holes.  
  
He looked questioningly at Tenel Ka.  
  
"Open it," she instructed, fingering the Gort egg necklace Jacen had  
given her only two weeks before.  
  
Jacen eased the lid from the box. A small puff of white shot out   
from inside. Despite his surprise, this time Jacen was faster. He snapped   
his hands around the creature midair.  
  
"A Dorman lizard!" he exclaimed. "How did you manage to catch one!?"  
  
"Ah. Aha. You cannot expect a Jedi to give away all of her secrets   
friend Jacen," Tenel Ka responded. The corners of her mouth turned slightly   
upward.  
  
Jacen's own grin grew broader. He quickly stowed the lizard in its   
waiting cage then turned back to Tenel Ka.  
  
"I don't know what to say... this means more than you... uh... thank   
you," he finished lamely.  
  
"Do not worry about the words Jacen," she began, then   
suddenly flashed him a rare and brilliant smile. She placed a warm hand on   
his chest. "What you are unable to articulate, I can feel."  
  
Jacen was too shocked to stop her as Tenel Ka slowly turned and   
exited his room. She had done all that for him. And smiled. Oh gods she   
had smiled. There was nothing in the universe more beautiful and it had been  
meant solely for him.  
  
*Perhaps,* Jacen thought looking happily at the lizard now exploring   
its cage, *some things were meant to be after all.*  
~End~  
  



End file.
